LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services has launched a new program to help families navigate the behavioral health system.
The children and families crisis response program was announced Monday. The initiative aims to connect families with a mental health professional, either at home or via telehealth, within an hour of calling for help.
In most cases, a therapist answering the call would help families work through their concerns over the phone. But a therapist could go to the family’s home and talk with all family members to de-escalate the situation, figure out a safety plan and refer them to other resources.
In rural areas where a therapist may not be in close proximity to respond in person, the family could connect through an Internet video connection.
“This is really taking that next step to make sure we have statewide access to crisis response,” said Sheri Dawson, an official with the Department of Health and Human Services.
The therapist could also work with schools, probation officers, child welfare workers and other involved with a child and family, said Beth Baxter, administrator of Region 3 Behavioral Health Services.
“We know what’s good for children and families is good for our communities and is good for our state,” Baxter said.
Gov. Pete Ricketts said the initiative is supported by a $12 million, four-year grant from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Dawson said the grant means families won’t have to pay for crisis response services.
According to the Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health, more than 37,000 children in Nebraska have behavioral health disorders.
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